Frozen Timepiece
by Nora Mutao Frost
Summary: A scientist wants to engineer the perfect soldier, so he goes after Zane and Echo believing they are emotionless, and can feel nothing. When in reality they both have girlfriends. Sequel to Bronze Colored Heart
1. Chapter 19

_**Authors Notes: If you haven't read Bronze Colored Heart you will not understand this fic!**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece.**_

 _ **Chapter 19**_

 _ **Desert**_

Kate used to think the whole world was a jerk, and nothing was going to get any better. Her father had tossed her aside after finding out that not only was she not a boy, but because of her his wife got incredibly sick. Which resulted in her death because of a bad immune system. She went around growing up without a friend in the world, her only retreat was the books she delved into. Unloved, and unwanted she went into the world with this thought no one will ever love or care for me so why worry?

Such a thought was quickly thrown into the wind by a certain robotic man who captured her heart as it cracked and flaked away. An emotion she thought she never possessed surfaced every time she looked into his golden optics. Moreover said robot had not only a brother but he had a girlfriend who she befriended as well. Plus the ninja that called him brother also. Her family seemed to grow by the day. Her cracked heart seemed to heal as time passed.

Apart from this she found that she had a brother, she wasn't ever told she had one. But then again her father never really took notice of her until he wanted something from her. Which normally meant work. She did work in the stock yard as a bookkeeper for some years as she went to college. It was actually how she got through school. If it weren't for a scholarship she probably would be in debt.

Her chosen profession? History. It was always moving, always happening. She liked the current flow and change of it all so she kept looking into it. Her hands were so dirty as she pushed another mound of sand away from her findings. She ran her hands over her brow and went back to chiseling away at the bone. There was a massive dragon skull under her. Misako had predated it to before the first spinjitzu master. Misako wasn't to far away looking over a few found by a few apprentices brought over by the local college to get some hours in on the job. All four students were scattered all over the dragons skeletal structure. She looked around for a familiar bronze nindroid. He wasn't ever really that far from her. Yet she couldn't see him, her heart clamped down trying not to freak out...it was fruitless. It had only been a year since they decided to work together. He was working at a nursing job so he could travel with Kate. Much to Zanes relief since he didn't really want him getting into trouble. The ninja had a huge habit of finding trouble. Or vise versa.

"Echo…?" She jumped feeling someone's arms around her. Her heart seemed to melt when she heard his voice.

"Yes? Your heart rate is high, are you alright?" Kate smiled softly putting her hands on his arms.

"Yes, I couldn't see you and I about panicked." She said leaning back in his arms. He stayed there for a moment till he heard one of the others yelp in pain having smashed their finger with the chisel. He sat down looking over the teenagers finger which was bleeding and the fingernail had to be removed. Kate wouldn't wish that on anyone. But to have her hand in his was one of the best feelings she ever had. Sometimes...this fact wasn't preferred by some.

The girl who hit her finger with the hammer pulled her hand away from Echo. Echo looked surprised at her. But the reason was apparent. Not a lot of people were happy about androids after what happened in Ninjago city. Specially with fact that his facial features were a match for Zane and so were Echos. Some people blamed Zane for what happened rather being thankful that Zane had died to save them all.

Kate stood up and walked over to the girl and sat down holding Echos hand.

"Its okay he won't hurt you." She told her. "I don't think Echo could hurt a fly." Kate offered trying to help. The girl just shoved Kate and stood up walking over to the outdoor sink they used to wash the clay pots.

"Stupid robot lover." She mumbled. Kate sighed deeply and looking sideways at Echo.

"Well she's right about that last part." She said with a crooked smile. Echo tried not to laugh at that.

"You always look at the bright side." Echo said helping Kate up, leading her back over to her spot with the skull.

"Well I never knew how before. Your a pretty positive look on life Echo." She said sitting back down with a slightly larger toothbrush to get into the cracks around the eye socket.

"I've never been someone's positive look before."

"Get used to it." Kate poked his stomach and giggled.

* * *

A small jeep sat on top of a dune not to far away. A dark clad figure stood on the hood. A pair of binoculars in their hand. A smile written all over their face. A small chuckle escaped them as they watched the couple. His smile grew even wider as he watched Kate lean over and kiss Echo on the cheek before leaning back down to get back to work.

"Who knew someone could love a creature like that? Such a gross thing I should think."

"Are you still watching them?" Another figure sat within the jeep. Their legs propped up on the dashboard. "Doesn't it get boring just to watch two people dig up dead shit?" The voice was a woman's. She bit a nail from her finger and spat it out and looked at it again.

"Perhaps to the uneducated. But I've been watching Echo and Zane for some years now. Zane had an infatuation not to long ago with another android Borg created, but she was destroyed to recreate him after he was deactivated. No luck there, but this one...he fell in love with a human. I honestly thought Julien couldn't give his creations emotions. It's why we divided, I felt the need to give them emotions. I wanted to test them to their limits. He felt I would be to cruel with them. I wanted to see their love, their life..and their pain." He smiled at the girl within the jeep.

"Now that would be fun." She said throwing her magazine into the back of the jeep. "Why don't we go mess with them. For...science."

"Raya...if I were to do that...then the good Dr. Julien would roll over in his grave." He waved her away from such a thought.

"Oh you're no fun Doc." She said turning on the engine.

"Perhaps...but I love the thought of a former professor rolling over in their grave." He looked at the brown haired woman. "It's not like it'll hurt them." He said sitting down in the jeep. "It's just false emotions anyways. Back to the institute Raya. We have preparations."

* * *

Echo brought over two cups of tea, and Kate brought over two plates of food. They sat at a table just beyond their camper they bring with them.

After the pirates had tried to take over Ninjago Kate's apartment was trashed and it had to be condemned. Much to her dismay she had to find a new place to stay. Thanks to Zanes suggestion she moved in with them and shared a room with Echo. Although Zanes efforts to try and get them a bunk bed they just didn't have the money for it, so they slept in the same bed. Mostly Echo would sleep outside the blankets not feeling too cold to much. But Kate would feel bad and put the blankets on him anyways. Zane would walk by their room to Echos arms around Kate or Kate hugging his arm while asleep. He had talked to them about it, but gave up a few weeks in. They were stuck like that and neither seemed to have a problem with it. It's not like they could do anything anyways. Yet a few weeks ago Kate was given a full bill of health after having her soul ripped out and shoved back in.

She procured a camper to take them to digs. It was Echo who had told her he had taken a medic job on the sight and wished to go with her. It was the best new she had heard and flung her arms around his shoulders kissing him far more passionately then Zane would have preferred, but then again he wished he could hold Pixal the same way.

Kate took a sip of her tea and smiled.

"You just keep getting better and better at making tea. What is this one?"

"Jasmine tea." He said smiling at his compliment. He swirled his oil soup around and took a bite before looking up at Kate who was trying to hid the fact that she was watching him over her own tea cup.

"What?" He asked. She blushed and went to eating.

"Nothing…" She whispered eating the chicken with her salad.

"Kate?" He asked her and touched her hand. "Was it that girl today? Did that bother you?" He asked her. Kate looked surprised for a second and shook her head fast.

"Oh no thats nothing, I figured we'd get that as well as a lot of people not liking our relationship." She said running her fingers over the ring on her finger. He had given it to her to show her he wasn't joking when he said he'd love her forever.

"Then...what's wr…"

"Your beautiful." She said to him. She gave him a soft smile. To him her eyes glowed in the sunset. Sparkled a lot more than usual. Her smile was infectious and he too found himself smiling back at her.

"Daww isn't that cute." The three students from before walked by. Echo looked up from his soup and looked at them. It hadn't been the first time students have stared at them for being a couple.

"Isn't it just?" Kate said as usual she had her sly look on her face. Echo blushed.

"I guess she couldn't find a human man to love her. She had to take Zanes brother instead?" The guy with the blonde hair said.

"Don't suppose she reprogrammed him to love her huh?" The girl from before asked.

"Probably."

Kate shook her head and looked Echo in the eyes and shook her head.

"Just ignore them." Echo told her and took her hand.

"Is that a wedding right?" The third one asked and smiled slyly at Kate.

"Probably got it from a gumball machine."

"No my father told me that sort of stuff was forbidden. A human couldn't marry an android. That ring is useless."

Echo stood up and glared down at the kids. If their was one thing he hated was for people to question his love for Kate.

"It is my sign of love for her."

"Love…" The girl scoffed. "As if you have real emotions anyways." She kept walking. "Fake human, fake emotions. You'd probably dump her without a tear in your eyes."

"She'll probably throw him away when she realizes they can't have babies." Another laughed.

Kate felt her heart crack again. She looked back down at her chef salad wondering for a moment if it was real love Echo was feeling for her. Then their was another issue that had been on her mind for some time now. They couldn't have children, would he want them if she asked.

"Kate…?" Kate looked up at Echo. He reached over and ran his thumb over her cheek.

"I love you Kate." He whispered to her. She took a deep breath and asked the one question she had wondered.

"About...kids." She stopped and swallowed hard. Echo sat down in the chair across from her.

"I...have no way to give them to you Kate. I...I lack the…" He paused and looked up at her.

"I know...I saw you naked most of my first few days with you. But if...the chance came...would you want to adopt?" She asked looking down at the sand below her. Echo smiled and touched her cheek again. Apparently this had been a thought on her mind for some time now.

"Of course I would. I always wanted to either create my own...or give a home to a child that would need it." He said taking her hand. This seemed to take a lot off her shoulders. He took her in his arms and kissed her forehead.


	2. Chapter 20

_**Authors Notes: Sorry about the pause I'm in New Orleans on business.**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 20**_

 _ **Cybernetics**_

If there was one thing Echo knew. It was that the desert was a lot like the ocean. There was a lot of sand, and it got into your gears. At least Kate planned ahead and ordered oil to be sent to them on a monthly basis. His joints sure needed it. He stood in a tub and Kate poured oil into his joints. She really enjoyed the look on his face when she did so. Almost a look of pure bliss. She took a butter cloth and spread the oil over his back plating and around his neck. Going down the more sensitive side plating was her favorite, and she was sure Echo knew. He would laugh from being so ticklish. Specially his arm joints around the shoulder. He would almost fall out of the tub trying to get away from her fingers. More often than not resulting in them both running around the camper.

Misako giggled to herself having seen her employees playing around the camper again. The oil bath forgotten about in the morning sun.

"A nindroid though?" One of the much older employees asked. She wasn't trying to make fun, just a little confused. "She's from a very important name. Her father left her with a very prominent company and she leaves it to her brother to whom she will not name." She took a sip of her coffee. "She could have any man she wanted."

"But she doesn't want just any man. She wants that one." Misako looked over her coffee cup at the woman. "I suppose it's true what they said...love is blind."

"Perhaps Mrs. Garmadon...but I'm afraid being with that one in particular can very well get her hurt." The woman stood up taking her plate and bowl over to a sink to wash them. This notion wasn't unheard by Echo. He stopped and looked down at Kate who was still giggling, and trying to get the hair from her face.

"You know I've been thinking. Maybe I should cut my hair." The horror on Echos face looked slightly panicked.

"Wouldn't it hurt?" Echo asked moving her hair out of her face and pulling it around to braid it.

"Oh no not at all. I've had my hair cut many many times. " She said handing him a ribbon to hold her hair which had grown down to her tailbone. "Some people think its rather enjoyable to cut ones hair, might even stop headaches, or feel a lot more light and breezy."

"But I like your hair." Echo said and smiled running his fingers over it.

"So just a trim then?" She said smiling up at him. He seemed to melt when she smiled.

"Yes...just a trip." He said leaning in and pressed his bronzed lips to her peach colored ones.

"No matter what anyone things Ms. Cherrywood. If anyone deserves love...its them." Misako said smiling at them. The other woman nodded her head, if there was one thing they agreed on it was this.

* * *

Zane found his way down the long steps to Borg industries. He had visited to get his processor def-ragged which took a lot longer than usual since Borg and Pixal began to talk about...well normal Borg Industries things. Mostly his mechanics. Since he was created out of desperation, and Pixals parts he was still missing some things he was going to need. A complete overhaul was declared, and now he was looking at yet again changing bodies. It kind of scared him, but it would be good in the end. He needed to tell his brother what was going on. He was due home within a few days.

Zane felt a little buzz in the back of his neck. The last time he felt something like this was just before he and Pixal had been kidnapped. His feet were moving on their own, and his mind seemed to relax.

"Pixal?"

" _Yes Zane? Still afraid of the new body?_ "

"My body is moving on its own again. Contact the others quickly. I'm afraid they'll be to late, but get to Echo...please. My brother must be protected." Zanes body got in the back of the car. The door closed behind him and sped away.

" _Zane…? Zane can you hear me?!_ " Pixals voice echoed within his processor, but it was far too weak to answer back.

"Good afternoon Zane. My name is Dr. Sanza your father and I go way back. A lot of your systems were what I had created...but it looks like your system is Borg created now. Pity." Sanza reached around pulling Zanes chin to look at him.

"What do you want with me?" Zane was able to speak finally after the hack wore off. His body was restrained to the chair via magnets.

"Why my boy...to do what I had wanted to do before your father ran off and left. You see...I'm the reason why he went into hiding. He hid the plans to protect you." Zane looked at him with surprise. "I wanted to make a super soldier, something to use in battle. He wanted to create something to protect, I wanted to create something that could win." pointed to the driver. Raya purple eye shadow was all he could really see.

"I create Bio-Mechanical beings or what some people call Cyborgs. Raya there was created between myself and my wife who was unable to have children. 68% of her is mechanical because she wasn't able to survive at birth."

"So...you saved her?" Zane asked looking back at Raya who rolled her eyes. She must have heard this story many times.

"No...I killed her." Zane looked at him with amazement.

"But you created her and…" His eyes grew wide when he realized what he meant. "You did experiments on your own offspring?"

"Smart aren't you? And I bet you actually thought my wife couldn't have kids naturally too." The crooked grin on the mans face sickened Zane. He probably would have threw up if it weren't for the fact that he doesn't have a stomach anymore.

"You experimented on your wife as well. You are a horrid person."

"You aren't wrong." He laughed.

"Where are you taking me." Zane asked, his processor was swimming. He felt incredibly dizzy now.

"Thats none of your concern I'm afraid. Raya...you can do it now." Sanza said smiling down at the nindroid who had begun to pant. Something was wrong with him. His systems were slowing down.

"Please...stop." He could barely get above a whisper before his optics went out and be grew still again.

"Like a puppet." Raya chuckled.

* * *

Jay yawned and stretched as he sat down on the observation deck on the Bounty. It was 12 in the morning and he was about to go get something to wake him up. He'd be up till 3 and then turn everything over to Cole. Oh he hated night watch, but sometimes it had the best tv shows.

"JAY!" Jay fell back in his seat and scrambled to his feet.  
"Pixal?" Jay called out looking around. "Zanes not here. Can I take a message?"

"Zanes gone because he's been kidnapped!"

"What!" Jay ran over to a large red button in the corner and pushed it. Every room within the bounty could hear the alarm.

"What's going on Jay?" Lloyd asked walking in a few moments later.

"Yeah I wasn't supposed to wake up for another 3 hours." Cole mumbled and yawned. Nya walked over to Jay and put her forehead to his back. Jay just smiled and took her hand.

"Pixals can tell us what's going on." Jay said Pixal pointed at a map on the wall. A large red dot could be seen flashing.

"I lost Zanes signal there. He told me to tell you all that something was wrong, and he couldn't control his body. He then started walking toward an unmarked car. After the door closed I lost his signal." She said quickly.

"Its alright Pix we'll find him for you. Just relax and tell us anything you might pick up from him...anything...even a false alarm." Lloyd said and smiled at her. "Or if you just need to talk alright. We know you miss him." He could see her messing with her hands. She was concerned and Lloyd could see that.

"Thanks Lloyd." Pixal said smiling shyly.


	3. Chapter 21

_**Authors Notes: I'm going to have to up the rating on this one to a T simply because of the tortures that are going to happen. Also...forewarned...torture!**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 21**_

 _ **Reasons**_

Echo found himself looking down at yet another medical book. Turns out Kates library within her office had a lot of books. Lots and lots of books. Each one had been read by Kate. Even the medical books, but she didn't like the sight of blood so never really did anything with them. She was glad she kept them though since they were now of use to Echo and his chosen profession. He wasn't looking to become a doctor, but he wanted to be of use to his Kate in any way he could.

Kate walked back in with an envelope and held it out to Echo. Echo looked a little bewildered for a moment. He turned it over in his hands, and then opened it. Within was a paycheck.

"Your pay for your efforts at the dig." Kate said. Echo looked bashful for a moment.

"All of this...its so much." He said and looked back at the four digit number.

"Well it is three months worth of work, and we only get paid upon completing it." Kate said and held up her own paycheck. "We could always try again to find a place of our own." She said looking back down at the papers on her desk. Echo shrugged his shoulders and put his paycheck in his book that way he didn't lose it.

"Anywhere you go is good for me." He said and stretched his back panels. It was 3am and they only just got back. Parking their camper in the large garage in the back where they keep all the equipment.

"Maybe we should get some sleep before we make any life shattering ideas." Kate said picking up her envelope, and Echos book.

"Also a very good idea." Echo said. Kate giggled swatting at him knowing he was playing with her. He dodged and ran ahead. Kate wasn't much of a runner. Actually every time she did run it would hurt her ankle after what happened. So he would stop and taunt her. She would just stick her tongue out at him.

"Kate?" A monitor nearby had Pixals image on it. Kate walked over to it accompanied by Echo.

"Pixal what are you doing on the museum monitors. If Misako found out about it she'd split a seam." Kate said looking over the femme taking in her worried features.

"Pixal are you alright?" Echo asked having also noticed her. He had taken to either calling her by her name or sister. As Zane would also call Kate by her name or sister. The ninja thought their whole relationship and family was adorable, and even influenced it by also doing the same thing.

"Zanes missing." Pixal said at a yell. She was really tired of explaining everything, but explain she did.

"Kate...we need to get back to the Bounty." Echo panicked. His hands were crossed over his chest, his legs were going back and forth between one and the other. The last time he looked this worried was when Kate went in for a check up after they found out about her soul being sucked out. Cole had the same thing happen to him. Kate had to calm him down physically holding him to show him she was there. Into which he promptly fell asleep after he calmed down after they got back to the Bounty.

"Its alright Echo we'll find him."

"The Bounty is waiting for you a few streets over." Pixal said. Kate took hold of Echos hand and they began to run from the building.

"Kate your ankle." Echo said seeing Kate limping as they went.

"Screw my ankle!" Kate said as they ran. Echos heart hurt seeing her hurting herself like this. Yet he didn't have much time to complain. At the front of the park was the Bounty.

* * *

At first he couldn't open his eyes, almost as if something was holding them closed. When his eyes turned on he was able to see that he was laying down on a large metal bed, the room around him was made from concrete, and the ceiling too. There was a single window in the room and it was about the side of his hand, but a yard long. He slowly turned his head to see if he could. Over in one corner Dr. Sanza was on his knees. He was shoulder deep inside a machine, one with a large tank on top of it. Within the tank seemed to be a lot of purplish pink liquid. A containment unit? Perhaps that's where they were going to stick him once he was finished with it. What then? He softly pulled at his restraints not making a noise. They weren't budging, and it did nothing but hurt his wrists.

After a few moments Dr. Sanza stood up and closed the door.

"Its an incubation room. This is where we're going to grow my super soldier. While you were out we took the liberty to scan your body. You are a veritable hodgepodge of parts. Almost like you were in a hurry to create them." Sanza walked over and leaned over his patient. "Just what happened to you Zane?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with. Just hurry with your experiments so I can go."

"Oh my dear boy you aren't going anywhere...ever again."

"My friends will stop you. They'll find me, and you won't get away with this." Zane said. Sanza leaned in closer and whispered.

"What about that beautiful brother we saw?" The surprise on Zanes face told Sanza all he needed to know.

"Ah..so he did build him." Zanes face grew angry at him.

"If you touch my brother I'll tear you apart."

"We shall see." He reached over and opened Zanes chest plate. He looked inside and smiled down at Zane. "Is he built like you." He flipped a switch.

"What are you doing? Stop that. No ones aloud to do that except a select few that know my inner workings."

"Don't forget...I scanned your inner workings. I know what they do." He flipped another switch so he could feel all his emotions.

Zanes heart felt heavy, as if something was wrong.

"S...Stop." He tried to grab Sanza's hand, but the bindings wouldn't allow him to.

"Ah here we go...your pain switch." He smiled down at Zane. He must have turned it of or he would feel everything in battles.

"No stop...turn it off!" Zane struggled and looked around as Raya turned on the lighting in the room. Zane looked around the room able to see if clearly now. Their was blood everywhere. The walls were splattered with it and it looked like their was a half attempt to clean it off the walls. Zane looked up when Raya brought out a camera and pushed a few buttons on it.

"Don't worry...its just for educational purposes. I promise." She said smiling down at the nindroid. She walked over and pointed the camera down at the chest cavity. Zane looked up at Raya with pleading eyes. Raya just smiled and turned the camera on Zanes face.

"Don't worry...you'll live...I think." She laughed and stepped back to give the doctor some room to work. He put a screw driver into Zanes chest plate and began to pull parts out and look over them. But each time he did so Zane would feel every agonizing moment. A loud screeching noise escaped his throat, and his back would arch trying to get the pain away from him. After the first hour Zane stopped yelling, and lay there to exhausted to fight anymore. Almost as if he had given up. He would pant and his engine would make hitching noises like he wanted to throw up.

"Just like I thought Zane...you are perfect in every possible way except one. The inability to have children. I can see why they denied such a thing. They didn't want anymore of you. To bad Borg rolled out his nindroid series some years back." He said screwing the last part back into Zanes body and closed his chest plate.

Zane just blankly stared off into nothingness not even answering the man holding him hostage. Zane tried often to try and get some sleep, but he couldn't. Every time a program would pop up and stop his progress. He was forcefully denied rest. He was in so much pain now, and his mind was hurting from the multiple forced intrusions. He wanted Pixal, he wanted Echo, he wanted Kate. He just wanted to go home. His body hitched again and he doubled over on the table. Coughing from the feel, and trying to hold onto the one thing he knew. His family would come for him. They always did.


	4. Chapter 22

**_Authors Notes: Oh poor Kate and Echo...FYI this chapter takes place at around 5am_**

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 22**_

Rain

Zane slowly turned his head when the door to his cell opened. He had tried countless times that night to fall asleep, but that program wouldn't let him. His processor kept trying and trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. He attempted to use the wifi, but it was completely encrypted and he couldn't even get onto it.

"Good morning Zane. I'd ask if you had a good nights sleep, but I'm sure Raya insured that you didn't." He said patting the nindroids helm. Zane shook his head and glared at him through a sleepy gaze.

"Well it would seem that I've gotten everything out of you that I could have, unless their is anything else I can take willingly. But what will happen next is a bit of a…" The roof began to slide aside.

"Damn it Raya close that before he opens a communications channel!" Sanza yelled. Into which Zane did take this opportunity to do so. Zane tried his best to call Pixal. Oh how he wished he could communicate with her. He wanted to hear her sweet voice, even if it was in his head.

"Gotcha." Sanza smiled down at the nindroid who gasped when he felt someone once again in his mind. He tried to close the channel before he found Pixal, but thats not what was being done. It was a physical clamp to keep his communications hub opened and able to locate any numbers to the others.

"No no NO!" Zane yelled hitting his head on the metal slab of a bed attempting to knock himself out. He knew Sanza wouldn't be able to keep communications open if he was unconscious. Raya grabbed hold of his head and kept him still.

"Now be a good boy...and behave."

* * *

Lloyd looked at the map on the wall they had been talking about whats going on for some time now. Kate and Echo had retreated some time ago to get some sleep since they had been up well past the time they normally went to bed, and this as ninja business anyways. Cole had assumed his position at the bridge when 3am rolled around, but it was he and Lloyd on the bridge waiting for any information. They both sat down at the table and had a group of cards scattered in the center. Cole threw a hand down and looked at Lloyd and smiled. Lloyd sighed slightly disappointed and threw his cards on the table. Cole looked baffled for a moment.

"You are the best player at poker I've ever seen."

"Don't tell mom though. She'd flip if she realized I was playing poker."

"Oh?" Cole smiled evily at him. "I do have her on speed dial." Cole said holding up his phone. Lloyd just rolled his eyes.

"Oh just take the pile. Its not like we're playing for money anyways." cole pulled the pile of monopoly money toward himself and giggled.

"Money money money." He whispered and jumped when the lights began to flash red and the alarms started to go off.

"Master Lloyd!" Pixals voice echoed in the room. "I've picked up a beacon from Zane. Its in the center of Ninjago City. I wasn't able to pinpoint where it was. He probably had enough time to show us he escaped, but those men must be after him." Pixal said frantically. She was really worried about her boyfriend. The ninja ran from the room and out of the Bounty. The clouds thundered with the promise of rain.

* * *

Zane struggled once more trying to get this intruder from his processor. The man had just notified Pixal that he had escaped, but he hadn't. He couldn't even pull himself away from the metal table, much less get out of the horrifying room. He looked over at Raya who smiled and looked at her father.

"I found something." She said. Sanza looked up at her and saw something in her hand.

"Its an AI!" He said running his fingers over the back of his neck.

"No! No leave her alone!" Zane really began to panic now. His thrashed around against the bindings. One came free and he started to pull the other one.

"Alright Zane you've forced me to do this and I really didn't want to." He activated the magnets in the table forcing his hand back down. His mind once again feeling weak, but he was denied rest again.

"I think its time we located your brother shall we?" He said fiddling with something in his hand and then smiled when he found Echos communicator masking it as if it were pixals for a moment. When Echo answered it wasn't Pixals voice that he heard.

"Listen closely Echo. I have your brother...ah who is this beautiful woman your with? Answer me within your head, we don't want her realizing your having a conversation." Sanza said looking at the monitor read out from Zane.

"I'm listening."

"Ah you didn't answer me. Whose the girl?"

"Her name is Kate, my girlfriend."

"A nindroid who has a girlfriend. How...gross." He said shaking his head at this knowledge. "Well we can't have her following you now can we. Ditch her."

"I can not! She is with me, I can't just leave her alone in the middle of the city." Echo said not really expecting what was about to be said.

"Either you ditch her or your asking her to come with you...if she comes with you...she'll die." Echo began to panic.

"Kate...I want you to do something for me." Echo said looking down at her. Kate turned and smiled up at Echo. Oh that beautiful smile. How he loved to see it. But this was to protect his brother. The rain began to fall on them in full force. Like someone had dumped a bucket on them both.

"Sure Echo whats going on? Did you get another…"

"I want you to head back to the Bounty. I have...to go somewhere." Echo said. Kate looked a little bewildered for a moment. She reached her hand out and touched Echos arm.

"But what...what about you Echo? I can't just leave you out here alone." Truth was Kate felt naked without Echo being with her, she actually panicked a lot if she couldn't see him. She knew it was a bit stupid and childish of her, but Echo was her constant. She needed him.

"Just dump her already! She's no use to you anyways! Dump her or I'll kill her myself, her and your brother."

"Dump?"

"Break...up...with...her." This caused Echos heart to skip a beat. He didn't like the feel of this, but the words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"I'm breaking up with you." He said. Kates face looked like it had just been slapped. Which Kate would have rather been slapped. She would have rather been stabbed in the heart a million times then to hear what she just heard.

"Echo? What...What…" She couldn't get the words to fall out of her mouth. Echo looked frustrated.

"I can't stand you and your clinging all the time, and your pawing, even your laugh is annoying." He was repeating everything Sanza told him to say. Each word looked like a solid slap to her face. He was glad however...that it was raining. Or she wouldn't have believed him. The tears would have been a solid give away. He however saw the turmoil on Kates face. The look of utter defeat on her features. She held herself, and looked down at the ground.

"Father was right…" She whispered turning away from Echo. "No one...could ever love me." She took the ring from her finger and held it to Echo. She put it into his outstretched hand. "I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you." He could hear her voice clearly she was crying. "I'm sorry I wasted your time." She walked down an alleyway.

Echo couldn't take anymore, he just turned and walked away from that spot, he hated that spot, he'd never go back to that spot again. He kept walking till he spotted the black car that was described to him.

"Its not like you could have loved her anyways. Your just a machine."


	5. Chapter 23

_**Authors Notes: Apologise for my tardiness of this chapter. FFN wouldn't allow for me to put it up at all and I've been trying since 6pm yesterday!**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 23**_

 _ **Samurai X**_

Echo felt his heart breaking as the car door was closed, the only person in the car was a black haired woman. He sat back looking up at the ceiling, letting the tears fall down his bronze cheeks.

"Good morning Echo. I wouldn't try anything with my assistant in the car. Your seats are magnetic."

"Bronze isn't magnetic." Echo exhaled. Sanza chuckled knowing perfectly well that was true, but was rather hoping he didn't have to go to extreme measures.

"Perhaps, but lets keep in mind that i can still kill your brother. Alright?" The voice said. You will arrive at my compound in under an hour, so let's get acquainted shall we?" Sanza said looking on through the monitor.

"I will not tell you a thing until I know my brother is alive."

"Bit late for that isn't it?" Sanza said and sat back in his large brown leather chair. Behind him Echo would see many taxidermied animals. He must have been a hunter.

"I could still self destruct." Echo said looking at the monitor finally. He had been sitting back, tears still lining his face.

"Oh and why would you do something like that with your brothers life on the line?"

"Because my life died moments ago." Echo said sitting back again closing his optics.

"Oh don't be such a child. You know perfectly well that woman wouldn't have loved you forever. You're not human!"

"No...I am a nindroid...I was her...nindroid." He said closing his optics again. Her image crying because of what he said was burned into his thoughts. Her look of such pain and torment. How could he have said those things. He loved her so much.

Sanza watched through the monitor as a fresh wave of sobbing could be seen. He even heard the sounds he creaking back panels were making when he shook.

"Dr. Julien did a great job making them seem human." Raya heard him over the monitor as she handed her father a brandy

"Yes...he did make them 'seem' human. They couldn't possibly be human, and his love for that woman was a fabrication of a being who must have learned it from Julien. Well lets get Zane off the table and into a pair of shackles shall we Raya?" Sanza said looking back at the monitor.

"What should we do with Echo when he gets here?" Raya asked.

"We'll give him a few moments of hope. We'll leave him with his brother for a few. I want to see how they act together before we pull them apart." Sanza took the shot of brandy and swirled it around in the cup. He smile was slow to show itself, but it did show itself and all the perfectly white teeth behind it.

Upon arriving Echo was grabbed from behind by two large men and led into the building by a woman with purple eyeshadow. Her hair was a mix of black and purple dreadlocks, and black clothing. Her skin on the other hand was an unhealthy white. Almost as if it was painted that way. Her eyes were a bright pink color. The woman could be mistaken as an albino.

"Lets throw him in with his brother. Poor guy is exhausted."

"What did you do to my brother!" Echo yelled and gasped as he was bodily thrown into a room covered in hay, and the walls had many different shackles. The ceiling even had them hanging. His brother was hanging from a pair in the far off corner. His feet barely touched the ground. Echo grabbed a stool from the corner and ran over to him. He picked him up and set him down on them, it didn't seem to do much good since he his legs just gave out anyways.

"Zane?"

"You should have ran." Zane scolded his brother. Echo walked over to him trying to pull on the chains. He needed to try and get him out of their...or at least let him lay down. He looked so tired.

"No I had to come get you." Echo said holding his brother up in his arms. Zanes head lollied to his brothers shoulder. He took a few deep breaths showing his brother he wasn't feeling to good. "Oh Zane...what did they do to you?" Echo looked at his brother chest plate. It had been bent in unnatural ways.

"I'll be alright." Zane whispered in his brothers audio.

Raya watched from the door as Echo turned to look at her.

"Please...can...can he come down? Please you can chain him to the wall. I just...I want to hold him."

"You are." Raya looked unphased by Echos plea.

"Better...let me hold him better. He's so tired."

"You will share the same fate as he did." Zane shuttered in Echos arms. Echo looked up instantly.

"Please!" He called out looking at the woman again. The woman rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. The shackles clicked and Echo found himself holding his brother up completely. He slowly walked over to the corner and lay his brother down in a mound of hay.

"Echo...what about Kate?"

"Kate and I are...we've...we've broken up." The pain was apparent on Echos features. Zane looked over his brother and slowly pulled his arm around him. It hurt a great deal to do so, but his little brother was in tears once more.

"She's an understanding person Echo. If you told her what happened. Perhaps she will forgive you." Zane said and kissed his helm.

"Get some rest brother...I'll watch over you." Echo whispered.

"I can not...they have a firm hack on my systems. Whenever I try to sleep…" Echo touched the back of Zanes neck he could feel something sticking out. He slowly pulled it. A small antenna came out with a magnet. Zane gasped and rested his head on Echos shoulder.

"Thank you." He whispered. Echo wasn't to sure what he did, but Zanes optics turned off and his eyes closed. He nuzzled closer to Echo, Echo smiled down at him despite himself and his own troubles knowing that his brother was safe now with him.

* * *

The rain still fell in buckets, with no end in sight. Kate had walked for a few hours not really knowing where to go, her aim was to head back to the Bounty. But her legs took her nowhere, or anywhere except a place that reminded her constantly of the nindroid that just broke her soul in two all over again. After hours of walking her legs just gave out under her. She pushed herself up again and she went down an alleyway. The lights weren't touching her now, just dark shadows. Silent tears were masked by the rain. Her clothing were wet, and she was freezing. But her mind didn't care. She just wanted to sit there in that alleyway and just stop existing. A light blue light caused her to look up into the familiar face of Samurai X. Or rather no faced. She looked back down at the steel boots.

"I remember who you are. But Echo didn't trust you then, and I still don't know who you are. So if your planning on killing me...just do it. If not please go away." The fact that she was crying was apparent in her voice.

Samurai X looked down at the pitiful view. Wasn't sure what to expect when Zane had called her in a panic about two hours ago. In hurried tones, Samurai X had heard him tell them about Echo and what he was being made to do. They were supposed to go find Kate and then the ninja. They knew where to go now. They had a destination. But first things first...the sad sob sitting in front of them had to know.

Samurai X kneeled down in front of Kate and touched her knee.

"He didn't mean it." The voice was that of Lloyd.

"Wh...What do you mean? He said it to me." She ran her fingers over the place her ring once sat. The place was pale around her tanned hand. She had been given it three months after they began their relationship officially to the public which was around 6 months after they met. He and she had a bit of an argument about the people around them saying they couldn't possibly be in love since Echo wasn't a human. Kate wanted so desperately to show him that she loved him completely and yelled at him in front of the ninja that he was the man she loved and would love to marry to show the world her love was true. Echo had yelled back that it was impossible. She had taken this the wrong way and left the room. Echo had to run after her and look all over the Bounty for her. He had found her asleep in the crows nest an hour later. She was still subconsciously sniffling. When the morning came their was a little box laying on her pillow. Within was a ring, one Echo had got a few days before. He was sitting on the bed cross legged. He hadn't slept that whole night. He had told her she had misunderstood him.

Samurai X took Kates hand and pulled her up to a standing position.

"He was ordered to tell you that. If he hadn't Dr. Sanza would have killed Zane and then came after you."

"How?" Kate looked up to see that Samurai X's helmet was in their arms instead of on their head. Her eyes grew wide as she looked over the features of the familiar AI she only seen on monitors. "Pixal?"

"Kate." Pixals face broke into a smile.

"You mean to tell me theirs a man after Echo? If he didn't break up with me he'd have killed Zane and came after me?" Kates voice rose above the whisper that it was.

"I'm afraid so." She said. "Come on we have coordinates." Kate balled up her fists and followed Pixal who had her helmet back on.

"Oh um...can we keep this Samurai X thing a secret?"

"I knew...sort of."

"How?" Pixal looked around and Kate pointed to her nose.

"No idea...it was your style I guess…" Kate climbed into the tank along with Pixal.

"Don't touch anything…"

"Fine...what about the radio?"

"No…"

"Does it even have a radio?"

"Uh...maybe."


	6. Chapter 24

_**Authors Notes: It actually feels good to have ffn to work properly the first time. Yay ffn...*Grumbles.***_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 24**_

 _ **Time piece**_

Echo slowly opened his eyes when he felt his brothers body jolt. He sat up again looking down at his brother who was breathing fast, and tossing his head to and fro. No actual words came from his vocals, but his mumblings were fast and desperate. Echo ran his hand down his brothers helm. He could now see him in the light, and he was a lot worse for ware. Their were dents around his legs, and wrists all looking like it was caused from him pulling on restraints. There was a panel around his leg and stomach that looked like it had been bent back completely, then reclosed in a most horrid way. He shook his head not believing what this man had done to his brother, then realized that if his panels were opened so forcefully what did he do to his insides. He shuddered and closed his eyes for a moment hoping he wasn't to damaged.

He slowly reached over and gently pulled back the chest panel since it was the closest to him and opened it. A lot of his inner workings were bent, and not put back into place like they were supposed to be. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an omni tool and started to try and screw the devices in properly. Zane jumped and gasped pushing his brothers hand away and closed the panel and turned away. Echo looked a little put back by his own brothers actions. He slowly reached over and put the tool down in front of Zane so he could see it was the present he had given him for their first Christmas together.

"Its alright Zane. I was just trying to fix you." He told his brother. Zane slowly turned and looked at his brother for a moment before picking up the tool and handing it back to his brother. He reached up and touched his panel again. He looked at his brother for a moment unsure of things now. "Its okay brother. I love you. I wouldn't hurt you." He said and touched his hand.

"Can...Can I hold your hand while you work?" It was so strange to see Zane being the vulnerable one rather then it being Echo. But at least this way Echo knew how Zane felt. He chuckled to lighten the mood.

"My pinky. I'm going to need my whole hand to do this job." Which is pretty much what Zane says to him. Zane slowly reached over and took his pinky in his. His body began to shake uncontrollably as his brother lightly opened his chest plate. Echo leaned over and put his forehead to his brothers and whispered to him. Just little kind words that only he could hear. Zane slowly stopped shaking.

"She gave back the ring." Echo told his brother. He wasn't to sure if his brother heard because it was a little while before he answered back.

"I like her. She's your perfect match you know. That pink machine in Borgs office that you walk past every time you go to his R and D lab? Sometimes you'll stand on it, and it'll tell you who your destined to be with. She comes up every single time." Zane said and shuttered when a piece fit back in properly.

"I don't know what to do brother. She's probably angry with me right now, or crying because she didn't know what to do. She's become...complacent with me. I've noticed at digs. If she doesn't see me she'll freak out." He said and closed his chest plate and put his Omni tool back into his pocket.

"She'll be alright." Zane said and sighed looking back up at the ceiling. "She's yours remember? So much more then some ring could say." He closed his eyes for a moment ready to go back to sleep.

Just as soon as Zane began to doze off again the door slammed open and Sanza walked in and looked at the two nindroids. His hands behind his back. Echo clung to his brother protectively. His programming to protect was all he could think of. He had to protect his brother from this mad man. Four extremely large men walked into the room along with the woman with purple eyeshadow. Today it was yellow eyeshadow, and her hair was braided down her back.

"Alright boys lets split them up and put the bronze one on the table. Time to see what makes this nindroid tick." Sanza smiled down at them and left the room to get ready.

"No!" Zane stood up blocking the four men from getting to his brother. Activating his ice ability he froze the men to the floor. Zane grabbed Echos hand and they ran out the door. Zane however didn't go to far when his mind was once again hacked. Zane felt his engine hitch and he fell to his knees holding his chest. His fans, his ram, and his secondary processor were both stopped. He was taking gulps of air trying to keep cool.

Echo ran back to his brother putting his hand on his chest trying to find the problem. He opened his chest plate once more to see if he just didn't put something back the right way. It wasn't anything like that. Then he looked up to see the woman with the yellow eyeshadow. She had a small phone in one hand. Her finger on a button.

"Stop! Please stop you're killing him." Echo ran at the woman and tried to get the phone from her hand. She dodged out of the way and grabbed his helm and slammed it against her knee. Echos body fell to the floor, he saw stars for a moment. He crawled over to his brother who was breathing slow now. But when he touched his back it was incredibly hot.

"Come on Zane...breath." He said turning him on his back and looked back up at the woman. "Please…" He looked at the woman who pushed the button again causing Zanes body to go back to normal. His fan turned on full blast to cool Zanes body down. Echo picked his brother up and put him back into the room and lay him down on the mound of hay.

"I love you brother. Please, stay safe. Tell Kate I'm sorry, and my thoughts are always of her." Echo told his brother, he set the ring in Zanes hand to give to Kate.

Echo walked out of the room and willingly. The woman walked beside him with a smile on her face.

"You are a machine, how can you have such emotions as you have displayed?"

"I...don't know." He said and walked into the room and looked at the table. It must have been the same table where they had tore into his brother. He looked up to see the tank and looked at it curiously.

"This machine will house a child. Not just any child...but a child between yourself...and that woman." He said

"Kate?" Echo asked laying down on the table. The restraints were put on him and Sanza smiled down at him and shrugged.

"Well of course. You do love her don't you?" He said patting the nindroids shoulder and then backed up a bit. His smile grew more sinister looking. "She won't survive the process...but who cares. I want my soldier." He said holding up a power tool. Echo gasped and shook his head.

"No! No don't hurt Kate!" Echo started to thrash around trying to get loose. These restraints were reinforced and stronger than the ones that Zane wore previously.

"I am Darius Sanza...I do as I please." He said pulling Echos shirt and snapped the buttons right off.

"Kate gave me this shirt!" He yelled looking back down at his exposed chest. Sanza looked down at his chest and ran his fingers over the timepiece.

"PLease don't...thats my power source." Echo said looking at Sanza pleadingly.

"I see...it looks like those time brothers work."

"Yes Krux made it for father and…"

"Dr. Julien! You call him Dr. Julien. Do not call him like you are family. That is impossible." Sanza spat out trying to get it through to Echo who narrowed his optics at him.

"He was my father. You can't take that from me!" Sanza grabbed a wire at the base of Echos neck and slowly pulled it.

"Can't I?" He said and grabbed a lead pipe on the table and swung down as hard as he could hitting Echos hand. The scream that followed was hard and loud. His vocal cords failed for a few moments. Sanza dropped the pipe and opened Echos chest plate and looked inside.

"Sounds like your pain nodes are on. Unlike your brother whose are on. I broke the knob too so everything he feels is a little more then just a touch." He laughed taking a power tool and started to unscrew things like he had done previously to Zane. Every piece, every part was examined painfully. Also painfully put back and not always in the right place. He put it wherever he wanted. Echos screams and thrashings were heard all over the hidden compound. Zane sat in the corner covering his audios knowing perfectly well what they were doing to him.

After about two hours the door unlocked and they drug Echo into the room and threw him on the ground. Zane scrambled over to his brother and looked over him. His hand was in pieces and falling apart. His chest plate was bent , and probably would need a hot soak to bend back into place.

"Echo...where's the omni tool?" Zane asked putting his hand to Echos helm. The younger nindroids other hand shakily reached for his pocket and missed. He wasn't able to get to it. He touched his lips and then throat. Zane nodded his head seeing the damage to his vocal processor. He must have screamed too much and Sanza had damaged it so he couldn't hear it anymore. Zane reached into Echos pants pocket and grabbed the omni tool and began to put his throat back together. It sparked a few times causing Echo to gasp in pain Eventually it popped and his voice once again worked.

"Brother…" He swallowed hard trying to get the pain to go away because it still hurt to speak.

"I'm here Echo...shhhh." He rocked his pained brother back and forth.

"Kate...they're...they're going after Kate. They're going to use her DNA and my parts to create some super soldier in that tank. But they're going to use her body...Zane...they're going to kill Kate."


	7. Chapter 25

_**Authors Notes: I love the very last part. It had me in a fit of giggles. Enjoy and don't forget to review.**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 25**_

 _ **Siblings**_

Kate found herself sitting on the bed that Echo and she had shared since they moved in together. She was so used to sleeping with him, and honestly the bed was unusually colder even though it was warm in the room. She turned to look at Echos spot on the left side. It was the first time in a full year that she and Echo hasn't slept in the same bed.

They had secretly began to call one another husband and wife even though it was impossible. They had once been asked if they were ever intimate together. Although it was a personal question it was rather well known that they couldn't have been. Echo couldn't and Kate just wasn't interested in such things.

They would just sit up in bed sometimes and talk about little things, colors, stories, funny things they saw, just little things. Kate would even read to Echo, he would lay there on the bed with his head on his hand listening to everything she said. Sometimes stopping her so they could discuss things he didn't understand, or places within the books. Small talk. She thinks it was the quiet that got to her the most.

This is how Cole found her. Sitting on the bed with Echos favorite book hugged to her chest, and the tears slowly falling again. He quietly knocked on the door frame so not to spook her from her thoughts. She did jump, but not as high as he thought she would have. She looked up at him and quickly wiped her eyes free of any stray tears.

"Cole...sorry I didn't mean to…" She stopped when Cole held out a handkerchief to her. He shook his head and sat down on the side of the bed. Looking her in the eyes.

"Hey you don't have to explain yourself to me. You've had it pretty tough. I want you to know any one of us will be happy to lend a shoulder if you need us to." Cole smiled at her trying to be reassuring. She knew he was trying to help, but she just wanted Echo back. The Bounty was due to land near the area where they got the communication.

She took a deep breath looking up at the earth elemental.

"Did you need something Cole?" She asked standing up putting the book back on the shelf.

"Oh yeah its almost dinner time." He said and held out his hand for her. She just smiled and shook her head. Cole chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"So Samurai X brought you...find out who it is?" Cole asked. Kate nodded her head.

"Yes." She said and Cole nearly tripped over his own two legs.

"Really?! Who?"

"No…" Kate giggled and walked into the dining room.

"Guys she knows how Samurai X is!" They all swarmed her. Kate looked amazed at them.

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" Kate asked and sat down at the table.

"Well...no." They said and looked around.

"I wonder if Zane or Echo know." Kate thought to herself putting her head in her hands as Nya and Lloyd brought the plates of food in. Apparently it was their turn to do the cooking...luckily. If Cole cooked they'd have to give Kates body to Echo. Last time she risked giving Cole the 'benefit of the doubt.' She was in the bathroom for hours. Echo kept asking if she was alright. Making jokes that she was firing off from both ends. Or backfiring as he called it.

Kate sighed and sat back a little and looked at the food. She was still amazed that Lloyd was still about fifteen years old. She looked up at Kai as he walked in and scooted past them to get to his spot on the other side of the table. The room was rather small. He stopped just behind her and leaned down looking at her squarely and then smiles before going on. He always tried to freak her out that way. It used to work. She'd recoil away from him, now it just made her smile. She looked down at her food. Rice, chicken, and peas. She looked around at the others who seemed to be eating as quickly as they could. They had a mission to go on, so they had to eat quickly. Kate however kept looking at her food as if it were going to jump up and bite her. She looked around at the kitchen almost expecting to see Echo come out and sit next to her. She looked down at the spot and then back at her food. She jumped when she felt someone tap her nose.

"Your doing it again." She looked at Nya who put her head in her hand looking at her. "We'll get them back, we always do. Now eat, if Echo comes back and finds out you haven't been eating enough he'll partner up with Zane and stuff you full." Nya said. Kate giggled and looked around at Jay.

"And how is that a bad thing?" He asked

"Its not." Kate said starting to eat.

* * *

Echo opened his optics and looked around the room. His brother lay not to far from him. He tried to roll over, but his whole body ached and his hand wasn't feeling right. Zane put it back together the best he could. At least he felt a little better internally. He must have worked for hours on him. He still felt very weak from the turmoil he had undergone. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He still felt like someone was pressing down on his chest plate. His throat felt so dry, it normally meant that his internal unit was low on oil. If his was he was sure his brothers was even more so. They had to get out of there or they were going to lock up.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his forehead. He jumped and opened his eyes quickly. When he saw the cool blue eyes of his brother he calmed down immediately.

"Breath…" Zane said touching his neck. Echo realized that he had been gasping for air. "Your cooling unit has been acting up. I'm going to have to do some work on it. So what I want you to do is lay perfectly still, and breath alright?" Zane asked pouring water into his chest plate. It sizzled and cooled Echo. He visibly sighed with relief as it happened.

"Where's the water come from?" Echo asked. Zane pointed to a faucet in the corner. He had the bucket probably for bathroom usage luckily they didn't have to so it was clean, and the drinking cup that was once around the faucet. He had filled the bucket full and had been poring it onto Echo throughout the night.

"Alright now breath alright?" Zane said and pored more water onto him before opening his chest plate. At first Echo just closed his eyes and concentrate on breathing. Thats all he really needed to do though right?

Zane gasped looking at the twisted fan. He was able to remove it and continue fixing it, but it would have to be replaced when they got home.

A speaker above the door crackled and Sanza's voice echoed in the room.

"Looks like we've been found. That airship your always occupying is right over head. It looks like that young lady you just broke up with is on board. We'll see if this bares fruit. If this works out you'll have your lady love again Echo. But remember...she won't survive the encounter." Sanza said.

Echo gasped looking at his brother. What are we going to do brother?"

"I've alerted Pixal to where we are. If I know Pixal she'll protect Kate."

"But brother she's only an AI within your mind. What can she do to protect Kate?!" Echo was freaking out. Zane put his fingers to Echos lips to keep him quiet. This for some reason calmed him. Specially the secret smile on Zanes lips.

"I have a secret. Want to hear it?" Zane asked Echo nodded his head since his brothers finger was still over his lips. "Pixals had a body now for about a year and a half now." He said. Echo looked sad for a moment.

"Then why doesn't she want to come see me?" Oh that nearly broke Zanes heart.

"But you have. She's Samurai X." He said to Echo. Echos eyes grew wide and he smiled so big.

"Sanza's in trouble now!"


	8. Chapter 26

_**Authors Notes: Finally some action!**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 26**_

 _ **Held up**_

Kate had left the dining room sometime after still being hounded about Samurai X and the fact that they had once had a bet going to find out who Samurai X was originally. It amused Kate and kept her mind off current problems. But now that it was quiet again, and the problem resurfaced it felt like it would eat her whole. She took a deep breath and pulled on her heavy boots. She normally wore them when in deep jungle just in case she gets caught up by a snake again. If it hadn't of been for Echo she was sure the snake would have got her. He stepped in the way and the snake bit down on bronze rather then flesh. Poor think slithered away probably mad.

She sighed deeply and looked down at her shirt. It still had a ring of dirt around the collar. She hadn't had time to shower since all this happened. She looked in the mirror at her hair. It looked more like Echos then her own bright red.

"Don't worry you still look lovely." Kate gasped turning around seeing Ronin sitting down in a chair just under the window. "You look like mom." He cleared his throat.

"Ronin...what if the others see you?" She asked closing the door so the others didn't see.

"What? Didn't you tell them about us?" He asked. Kate shook her head and covered her face. "Well...I actually expected you to. What about that Julien pup?" Kate looked up over her hand at him. "Really!?"

"I figured you'd want your privacy." Kate told him pulling a shirt out of the closet and walked into the bathroom.

"Oh and what if they figure it out?" Ronin asked putting his hands behind his head sitting back.

"Nothing. It can't be that bad." Kate said

"You'd be amazed." Ronin sighed

"Why are you here Ronin?"

"I've been asked to kidnap you off this ship and put you into Dr. Sanza's clutches." Ronin said. To his surprise Kate walked over to him and held out her hands.

"Okay." She said. Ronin put up his hands and shook his head.

"No you fruit loop!" Ronin said and shook his head.

"Why? You never had a problem with this sort of thing before right? You'll sell your mother for the right price they say. Why not your own sister?" Kate gasped when Ronin gathered her into his arms and held her in his arms.

"I have you, I won't lose you again." Ronin said let go of her. "I'm here to fight for you. I know I'm not the only one who was summoned to get you. Its like a challenge. Whoever…" He sighed and took her hand and walked out of the room and walked onto the bridge.

"Alright ninja!" He said looking at Jay and Cole who were on the bridge manning the guns.

"Ronin what the hell!" Cole yelled seeing Kate in his arms.

"He won't hurt me Cole…" Kate said holding up her hands.

"A lot of mercenaries, or headhunters, even a few killers have been called up to catch her. The summons says 'to whom so ever catches the fair Kate from the Destinys Bounty will receive 10 million."

"Oh and why aren't you going to? Thats a lot of money for you to just throw away." Jay said taking Kates hand and pulling her behind them and glared at Ronin. Kate looked up at Ronin who rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"He's my brother Jay. I found out the day I went back to my apartment. He left me a present, and proof." Kate said. Jay threw his hands in the air. Cole walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Would it matter? I figured he'd…" She sighed and looked up at Cole.

"No it doesn't really matter." Cole said looking at her in a way that pretty much said 'oh you poor girl your related to that.' Kate sighed and walked over to the door.

"Look we have a job to do right?" Kate gasped having been pulled from the door. Ronin ran out of the room and nearly slammed right into Kate who was standing over a man with blond hair and torn up clothing. She had a taser in her hand. "That works…" She said looking up at Ronin who sat down on the floor rubbing his temples.

"I say we put her into a cardboard box and stow her in the hold." Ronin said. Kate giggled and nudged him.

"Daww I didn't know you cared."

"I didn't know caring was so much work." Ronin complained and looked up with the other ninja came running. Kai still pulling on his Gi.

"The heck was that."

"My sister here is a wanted woman." He said and looked at Kate. The others stared at her. They all walked out onto the top deck and stopped. Their were hundreds of people standing their watching. Samurai X was hanging upside down from the mast.

"Your guard was insufficient." One of the mercenaries said with a smile. Kate gasped looking on at Pixal whose helm lay on the deck rather then on her head. Letting the whole ship see who she was.

"What!" Jays exclamation echoed throughout the ship.

"Yes I'm rather miffed too." Kate said. Pixal stopped struggling from where she was.

"You are angry with me?" Pixal asked looking on at Kate to whom she seen as a sister.

"Yeah you've had a body for some time now and didn't even come see us. Rude." Kate said and gasped as someone fired a laser at her.

"Hey! The condition is to bring her back alive!" Ronin yelled. Another man fired at Ronin it tinked off his armor.

"Oh I wasn't going to kill her mate. Just mess her up a bit. Ruffle the feathers." The man stepped forward his teeth were as messy as his hair. Almost as he had been punched to many times and had to have them fixed a lot. Ronin grabbed his sister and shoved him behind his back.

"So...your going to protect her rather then turn her in. What kind of profit is that?"

"Plenty." Ronin pulled out a sword and glared at the men. Kai grabbed Kate and went for the door to the lower decks. A ball of fire hit the door. Kai growled.

"Hey!" He looked up to see the mechanic. "Thats my element." He barked. Kate stepped back and looked around at the ninja fighting. She gasped as her shirt was pulled she turned and shoved the taser into their rib cage. The man fell like a rag doll. She looked at Nya.

"Well if th sells men was right I got to more shots with this."

"Make them count!" Nya said and shoved the tip of her harpoon into a mans knees and shived him over the railing.

"Here use this." Ronin handed her his second sword.

"I never learned how." Kate said looking around at the others.

"Then why did you come!"

"They have my husband!" Kate yelled.

"Uh...that bronze pup...isn't your husband."

"Yes he is. We said our vows to one another. Mostly just to our family same as Pixal and Zane." Kate said and swung the sword at someone and smiled at herself.

"Kate...you can't marry a nindroid. Its…" He sighed and shook his head. "I mean…" He looked slightly bummed for a second there. "I didn't get to give you away." Ronin said. Kate blushed and looked down at the deck and gasped when a rope came down and caught around her mid section. A man with black hair looked down at Ronin.

"Let her go Blitz!" He yelled "I'll give you twice as much as Sanza is."

"Very generous of you Ronin...but...I do have my honor." He said jumping down so everyone could see.

"Let go of me you jerks!" Kate struggled having been completely tied up. Her hands were behind her back, but her legs thrashed around. Every so often catching Blitzes shins.

"Quiet your tongue!" He yelled kneeing Kate in the rips. Kates lungs burned for air. As the kick caused her to exhale all the air it had. She fell limp in the mans arms. "Thats better."

"You jerk!" Ronin yelled running at Blitz who pulled a gun out and put it to the top of Kates head.

"Sorry to play in run Ronin...but this girly here...she's my meal ticket."

"She's my sister."

"Ah...thats why you want to keep her so bad...its personal. Well...its Sanzas problem now. Toots." He waved and jumped down out of the Bounty. The others gave chase wanting to get the girl away from Blitz.

"Come on we gotta go after her!" Pixal yelled and finally the rope snapped. The ninja looked angry at themselves having been unable to protect Kate.

"We need a plan...and fast." Nya said looking at Lloyd.

* * *

Kate had been deposited in front of Sanza who smiled down at the woman.

"I believe this is the damsel you spoke about. So my debt is repaid yeah?" Blitz asked. Sanza nodded his head and waved at Blitz who whooped and ran into the woods and out of sight.

"Come my pet...someones been waiting to see you." He motioned for one of the men to pick up Kate.

Sanza unlocked the door and walked into the room to see Zane and Echo sleeping in a pile. One hugging the other as if their lives depending on it. To afraid to let go just in case Sanza came and got one.

"Alright boys. I've got a present for you." Echo and Zane sat up quickly having been disturbed out of sleep. Echos eyes locked onto the unconscious form of Kate.

"What did you do to her!" He yelled and stood up shakily. He ran forward and stopped when Sanza held Kates neck. She made a gagging noise, her mouth opened trying to get some air.

"I thought I was being a bit horrible to you two lately so I thought...why not bring her here first before I killed her. You have two hours with her...if you behave now." He let go of Kates throat and had the large man lay her down in Echos arms.

"Now say thank you."

"Thank you." Both nindroids said in unison.

"Good androids."


	9. Chapter 27

_**Authors Notes: This might be a trigger chapter for those who don't want to read about torture or rape. Their isn't any in this chapter, but its implied, and talked about as a past event.**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 27**_

 _ **If**_

Kate sat against the wall across from Echo. Her legs firmly pressed against her chest, and her arms around her knees. Echo sat against the wall, his legs in front of him. Tears slowly rolling down both of their cheeks. Neither knowing what to say to the other. Kate had apologized to him when she woke up thinking it was something about her. Even though she knows what Pixal said was true, she still felt responsible somehow for their relationship. Or what she called, a failed relationship.

"I have...trust issues." Kate began rubbing her cheek against her leg to get the tears off her cheek.

"I know... " Echo whispered. She could hear the hurt in his voice. Kate wanted so bad to go over to him, but she honestly wasn't sure if she was allowed to. Was she still his, should she even try? Would it matter since she was going to die in an hour.

"Pixal told you didn't she?" Zane asked from the corner. He was forced to just watch as his sibling, and the woman he loved were attempting to talk out what happened.

"Yeah...but it doesn't stop it from hurting. It doesn't stop me from questioning whether he was right. Maybe I am to clingy...maybe I…" She jumped when Echo yelled.

"Stop that! Now you just stop that questioning yourself like that. I enjoy your hugs, I enjoy seeing you. I wake up in the night just to look at your face. Its why you wake up with me holding you, I just can't...not." Echo said standing up pacing around the room. Kate had stood up afraid he was going to go after her.

"Kate...I'm going to ask you a question and please do not cover it up." Zane began having noticed something. "I'm noticed you cringe or pull away if someone moves to fast. Did your father beat you?" Zane asked.

Kate sighed and leaned against the wall. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as she remembered things with her father.

"I said he wasn't the best father, and I see the reason why my brother ran away." Echo walked over to her noticing her mood had changed greatly. He reached out and took her hand in his. She slowly stepped forward resting her head against his chest. She took a deep breath, she hadn't opened up like this even with Echo. But if she was about to die she might as well tell them everything.

"When I was young I used to get put into a room and left there for hours. No food or water...nothing to do. Or even a window to look out. After a little while my dad would come back and pull me out of the room and make the housekeeper deal with me. If I made a noise the house keeper would slap me around till I stopped making noise. Eventually I went to father about the housekeeper beating me...he fired the housekeeper…" Echo smiled at his brother. But his brother narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"Continue Kate. Its alright, we will not judge you." Zane prompted stepping forward in a protective way. Kate put her arms around Echo hugging him close. Echo could feel her shaking.

"Instead of throwing me in that room he began to beat me if I said anything. For three solid years I wasn't allowed to say anything. I learned that 'ladies do not speak unless spoken to.' For my twelfth birthday…" She took a deep breath and shuttered. Echo rubbed her back and put his cheek on the top of her head subconsciously knowing what was coming.

"He hired two men to…'make a woman out of me' as he said. I was to afraid to tell anyone and I don't think Ronin knows about that." Kate said looking down at her feet.

"Why would Ronin know anything about you? You only met him last year." Echo said looking at Kate. Kate backed up and fished her wallet out of her pants. She handed him a picture from the inner fold. She handed it to Echo.

Echo looked over it and his eyes grew wide. Zane looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"You look like your mother, but Ronin looks a lot like his father."

"At least he's nothing like him. He tried to save me on the Bounty. Told the others that their were Mercenaries out to get me. Their were just to many.

Kate looked up at Echo and held out her hand. He took a deep breath and took her hand.

"I will never do as your father did to you Kate. I will never hurt you like that. You have got to trust me. I did what I did to protect you. Please believe me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. He took her hand and got down on one knee and looked up at her. Her eyes softened and she leaned forward.

"But we already said o…"

"No...for real. I want to marry you, and I'll go to court to get it officiated. I want to be with you Kate. I want you to be a Julien."

"Echo...I…" She was blushing so hard. Zane turned away to give them some privacy.

"Please Kate…" Echo whispered Kates hand was shaking in his. She honestly never thought he would go that far. But here he was his hand in hers. Not one ring, but two in his hand.

"How come you give me rings whenever we fight?" She giggled and leaned in kissing the nindroid. He stood up pulling her in deepening the kiss.

"Daww isn't that beautiful!" Someone behind them started to clap. "To bad she's about to die." Sanza smiled looking on at the little group. Echo grabbed Kate and held her to him. Zane ran around to hold himself in front of the two. His hand glowing with promise.

"Oh...you think you can protect her...how...adorable." He smiled. Kate pushed Echo away and marched toward Sanza.

"I'm going to knock those perfect teeth down that fat neck of yours." Kate yelled Echo grabbed her and pulled her back, she tried to push away from Echo again, but he held her close.

"Feisty isn't she?" Sanza said and snapped his fingers. Both Echo and Zanes bodies seemed to lock up. "Lets see how feisty she is now." He walked forward and grabbed Kates arm. Kate punched at him, not really making any progress.

"Let go! Let go of me! Echo!" She yelled.

"Lets bring them to the table room...they can watch me dissect her." Sanza said. The two men walked in and picked up Echo and Zane.

Sanza threw Kate down on the table and strapped her down.

"My what small wrists and ankles you have. Do you even eat?"

"I was malnourished as a child. My bone structure is probably crap too." Kate spat out at him. He chuckled and reached down shining a light in her eyes. He snapped his fingers and both nindroids seemed to unlock on command. They pulled against their restraints which came from a pole in the middle of the room. The pole held fast, and so did their chains.

"Let her go you insane freak!" Echo yelled.

"Oh I'll give her back...she may have some parts missing, but sure...I'll give her back." Sanza said and ran his fingers over her hair. "But first...I'm afraid this is going to get in the way." He pulled out a large pair of scissors and sliced into her hair. She cringed at the sound.

"Kate!"

"Oh its just her hair…" Sanza smiled.

"He's never seen me have my hair cut and he's been on an island all his life." Kate grumbled watching her hair fall to the ground. Sanza looked around at Echo.

"So who do you think will cringe first?" He asked Kate. Kate at first didn't understand till she felt him take hold of her hand and pushed the scissors onto her palm. He pulled it across as if it were a match stick. Kate gasped as the pain was immediate. Sanza laughed as Echo reached out trying to break his bindings. Sanza stepped forward just out of his reach. He smiled as he licked the blade. A small line of red across his tongue.

"Sweeter then I thought." Sanza smiled at Echo. Echo reached forward once again trying his hardest to get to him. His optics were tinged in red.

"I will have your life." He yelled. Kate had never heard him so angry before.

"Oh...I'd better run then…" He said and walked around the table to the end. He lifted Kates foot. Kate tried her best to pull her foot from his grasp. He pulled her boot off and locked her leg back down. He looked through his tools and smiled.

"I'm going to have fun with her for a little while. The look on their faces will be perfect." He smiled putting her blood sample into the machine. It lit up and began to glow. He turned around and picked up a very small tool.

"If there's one thing I'm good at...its torture. I have a degree in it actually. So trust me when I say...you'll be in a lot of pain by the time I'm done." He shoved the shirt tool into Kates foot. "I know how to produce...the most pain without killing you. Poor girl. But hey...they'll get an awesome show."

* * *

Ronin stood not to far from the opening to the service tunnel. His head was killing him because of the heat, but he watched the ninja as they got into position. They would be infiltrating this compound any minute now. He watched for the signal. Lloyd looked up at him and nodded his head. He slowly opened the door and jumped in followed closely by Jay and Cole. They began to crawl along the tunnel since it was so small.

"Oh if he hurt her...their will be hell to pay." Ronin grumbled.

"You'll have to get in line." Cole said.

"Yeah Echo and Zane will have him, and Samurai X too. If your lucky their might be something left." Jay laughed looking around Ronin. Ronin stopped and pulled something from his belt.

"Whats the hold up?" Cole asked.

"Its a code." He said and clipped a few wires and hooked up a device to it.

"Its a bit old school isn't it?" Jay asked.

"Sanzas an old coot...he likes his 80s junk." The door clicked and opened.

"But its easier to get in this way."

"Yeah but do you know anyone that still uses 80s stuff?"

"There's this one guy...that builds spaceships…" Jay said.

"Oh shut up and come on." Cole shoved Jay.


	10. Chapter 28

_**Authors Notes: Oops forgot to put this up last night with the new episodes excitement.**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 28**_

 _ **Escape**_

Kate lay on her back her eyes fogged over. She had never felt weak enough for her eyes to unfocus before. Sanza had long since stopped torturing her. He stood there smiling at his work. Kates shirt had been ripped to pieces, and even her pants were torn up. They left little to the imagination. Echo was seething from where he stood gazing bullets at Sanza. Fresh promises on his lips, and anger in his eyes. He watched as Sanza touched a wound on Kate. He had left those thin knives within her skin. Each one to small to be knives really more like large needles.

"Would you like to say goodbye to her?" Sanza asked Echo. Zane felt his heart flip flop as he saw his brother look down at his love. Kate took a deep breath.

"I'm going to laugh...when he ends you." Kate tried to be as brave as she could for him. This got a small smile out of Echo.

"Thats my girl." He whispered. He knew she felt like hell and a lot of her skin looked like a white and red tiger. Every inch of her ached and he knew it.

"It'll be on the beach. Our wedding." Echo said allowed trying to lift her spirits.

"With a Barbeque." Kate whispered.

"Both of you knock it off. It'll be impossible because you both will be dead." Sanza smiled pulling out a knife and walked over to Kate. He grabbed her shirt and tore it clean in two.

"Now hold still."

A crackling sound was heard in the room Sanza looked around wondering if it was the steel post finally coming loose. He couldn't have that. A loud yelp escaped him as the ceiling fell through. Jay and Ronin landed on top of him and Cole landed on them.

"Damn it Ronin I told you it was left. This is…" Cole stopped and saw Echo and Zane. Zane had pulled his brother back away from the noise.

"You're alive!" Jay yelled and ran forward hugging them both.

"Please if you would…" Zane said holding up his wrist. Cole brought over the key and undid the bindings.

"What did they do to her!?" Ronin asked

"Do not pull it out like that Ronin!" Echo said running forward and stepped on Sanza on his way by. "Here…" He began to pull the needles from Kates body. She was cold to the touch, and she was shivering.

"Anyone know where a blanket is?" Ronin asked suddenly made that he didn't have a jacket.

"Just start opening those cabinets. There's something I'm sure." Jay said throwing open a cabinet and yelped having a bunch of pipes hit him.

"Why does he have pipes."

"He hits people with them." Echo said holding up his hand.

"Ow…" Ronin gasped and pulled a blanket around his sister tying it around her shoulder like a toga.

"I'm sorry…" Echo told Ronin. Ronin looked slightly taken aback by this. He never expected anyone to ever apologize to him...ever. Specially when he didn't get why.

"What?"

"I...I didn't protect her, and I made her cry. I broke her heart."

"Daww dude she loves you and she's alright. I mean look at her. If she didn't want to be around you I'm sure she'd have shoved you away. Most women do it." Ronin said watching Echo dab at Kates wounds.

"Come on Echo buddy...you can finish that up on the Bounty. Right now we gotta split. Lloyd said they're mobilizing. This room is under surveillance." Cole said

"Come on Kate...Lets get you out." Echo whispered kissing her forehead.

"Colors?" Kate whispered to Echo.

"Colors?" Ronin asked her.

"Mmmhum...for the wedding. You can give me away." Kate said her eyes fluttered closed. She put her head on Echos shoulder.

"Bronze and red." Echo whispered to her. "I love those colors."

* * *

Lloyd watched from the underbrush with Kai and Nya. Kai was up in the trees and Nya was in the water near the door. The place was built like a fortress. Electric fences, dogs, huge concrete walls. All lined along an ocean wall. A large van rolled up to the front entrance. Followed by two more.

"Cole there's a lot of men going inside. We'll stop as many as we can, but their are a lot. Probably about twenty." Lloyd said.

"We'll go out the back way." Cole told them.

"Just keep them distracted. These three aren't in fighting condition. Zane maybe, but Echos hand is kind of...well its in pieces, and Kate looks like she could use a spa day." Jay told them.

"But they're alive right?" Kai asked.

"Yeah they're alive, and we'll make sure they stay that way." Cole said

Lloyd gestured to Nya who used the water in the mote to push the vans back causing them to fall onto the rocks below the sea wall. She was pretty sure there were still some people inside.

"Get it lady!" Kai whooped to his sister. Nya giggled at the praise.

Kai ran forward pulling out his swords.

"And this is for my friends!"

* * *

Cole stopped just short of the corner slowly looking around. The woman with yellow eyeshadow smiled at him.

"Hello there…" She said.

"Be careful Cole...she's a cyborg." Zane said taking hold of his brothers shoulder to pull him away from her sight.

"Did you kill my father?" She asked.

"No he is just unconscious." Cole said rather curious and honestly just wanting to get around her.

"Well then…" She pointed to the door to the room with the tube since they had to backtrack away from the front door.

"You might want to know." She took a deep breath and held up the phone. Both Zane and Echo visibly cringed. The cell phone snapped in her hands. She dropped it to the ground. She looked into the room and looked at her father still unconscious under the concrete that fell from the ceiling. She walked over and pulled a flash drive from the machine and ran back out.

"I'm sorry I can't give you much. But...this has the data and the blueprints for the machine. If you give it to Borg I'm pretty sure he could replicate it." She said to Echo. Echo looked slightly miffed at her.

"Why would I want that?!" He growled out pulling Kate from her reach.

"If you ever want children...this is how you can. Its how I was made." She told them. Echo gasped and looked at Kate. Kate slowly looked up at Echo. "Its all there, your DNA codes both of you. All you need is the machine." She told them. Echo relocated Kate for a moment letting her lean on him. He took the flash drive and pulled a small drawer out of his leg compartment and put it in. The water tight slot closed and he looked at the woman and nodded.

"Thank you."

"Now go...father will be awake soon. Hes going to be angry. He'll come for you and I must do as he says. Its in my programming." She told them.

Echo picked Kate back up and followed Cole. Upon opening the door they ran into the woods. The Bounty was in there...somewhere. Echo smiled down at Kate. They were free, and they could continue there plans, and someday far off into the future they could have children. It was the best feeling he could ever have.

They burst through the trees at the sight of the white and red sails. Fifty men stood around the Bounty, all with guns, and swords. Each one guarding their way out. Echos heart stopped for a moment. When his heart started to beat again it was like it pumped his oil to fast, and he could hear it in his audios. It was so loud he couldn't hear Ronin tell them to run. Ronin had to reach out and pull the nindroid into the woods. Bullets whizzed passed their heads. Echo could feel one lodge into his upper arm and shoot straight out and into a tree. Inches from Kates head. He had lost sight of the others in his panicked run. He wasn't too sure if anyone else was hit. All he knew was his shoulder hurt like fire, and if it gave out he'd drop Kate and they'd both be dead.

He skidded to a stop as he saw the ocean. There was a cliff, down below was the ocean.

"Kate?" He asked through a shaky vocal.

"Hum?" She opened her eyes and gasped clinging to him.

"They're coming." He told her.

"If we stay we die, if we just...we might die?" She asked slowly climbing out of his arms.

"Might is better then are." He told her.

"I love you." She told him her face could be so beautiful when she looked sad.

"I love you too." He took her hand, and they jumped.


	11. Chapter 29

_**Authors Notes: I love the ending to this sooooo much. Next chapter you'll get a bit more Pixal/Zane interaction now that she has a physical body out in the open.**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 29**_

 _ **Cove**_

Echo hit the water hard, and the water washed over him rough. Turning and turning him over. He hit a few rocks that just seemed to throw him into more. He didn't technically need to breath, but he wasn't supposed to intake water either. Specially salt water. Bronze and salt water didn't mix to well. The worst part was his hold of Kate was gone. He couldn't feel her or see her. His head once again resurfaced and he looked around. He couldn't see her through the frothy liquid spewing all around him. The ocean threw him again. This way and that he was tossed like a rag doll. In the end he found himself thrown into a tide hole He lay looking at the top of the cave for a few moments wondering just what had happened. He sat up and looked around. Their was a large hole in the side of the cliff wall.

Echos eyes looked frantically for his love. He wasn't to sure if she had survived. If he was tossed around like a rag doll he was sure she did too. Finally he spotted a bright yellow. It was the blanket that they had tied around her to keep her warm. She was holding onto a rock not to far from where he was. He ran along the shore hugging the walls. Jumping from a rock and onto the one where she was perched. He reached down and touched her shoulder. She was shivering again. Coughing up any water she got in her lungs.

"Kate!" He called out trying to get her to look up. But she didn't move. Her hands were slipping. He grabbed hold of one just as soon as she slipped completely. He pulled her up onto the rock. "Kate look at me!" He called trying to get some sort of any reaction out of her. There was no reaction at all. He put his audio to her chest and gasped. The heart beat was slow, but she wasn't breathing. "No Kate...no…" He jumped from the rock to the shore. He ran into the little cave and lay her down on the rocky floor. He was pretty sure that wasn't to comfortable, but it would have to do for the time being as he turned his fans on to full blast. He needed the air. He breathed into her mouth twice and then listened again to see if that helped. He began to push down on her chest. His shoulder sparked and sputtered.

"No not right now please." The gunshot wound protested greatly. He leaned over and blew into Kates mouth again and again.

A huge jerk and she was coughing up water onto the stone floor. She rolled onto her side with Echos help. She kept coughing up liquid for a good ten minutes until finally she just lay there. Echo just sat there rubbing her back trying to coax anymore water from her lungs. Echo winched feeling his shoulder pop and completely give out. His arm fell lifeless to his side. He sighed and shook his head. Kate sat up and looked puzzled for a moment having heard the pop from the joint as if grinded down.

"Echo?" She asked and coughed. He shook his head and pointed to his shoulder.

"I was shot." He told her. Her eyes grew wider then he had ever seen them go. She crawled forward looking into his shoulder. Lifting the arm and looked through the pit area at the joints within.

"Thats…" She lowered his arm and shook her head. "Well I'm afraid you're going to need a replacement. That isn't going to be repairable. She cleared her throat. She made a weird face before putting her fingers over her mouth. Echo could see that she went pale for a moment. She turned away from Echo.

"Kate are you alright?" He asked just in time for him to witness her expelling the contents of her stomach on the cave floor. "Kate…" He rubbed her back with his good arm.

"I'm alright it was just…" She swallowed hard and tried not to throw up again mid sentence. "It was the flem." She told him and slowly stood up.

"We should get back up to the Bounty." She said walking toward the other end of the cave. It was a wide open area and you could see clear across to the other side. Echo watched Kate as she walked curiously. She wasn't stepping fully on one foot. It must have been that wound produced by those large needles. Also the fact that she was only wearing one boot. He smiled as he suddenly thought of something.

"I know what to give you for a wedding present." He said and practically ran forward.

"Oh?" She asked looking up at him. Her being a head shorter then him.

"A new set of boots." He said. Kate looked down and then back up at him and giggled.

"Yeah they're kind of...messed up now aren't they? I don't even know where the other one is now. Burning I hope." She said pointing to the black smoke. They couldn't really see what was burning, but Echo hoped it wasn't the Bounty.

* * *

Kai was being supported mostly by Lloyd. His leg had a bullet in the lower calf. He looked around at the smoke. Lloyd had set fire to the Convoys main vehicle with a flash bomb to the gas tank. Its explosion to Kai was magical.

"I think you got the car behind it too." Kai said laughing slightly more evil then he should have. He hopped along beside Lloyd who honestly wanted to smile too, but he wasn't sure if he had hurt anyone. It was always his main goal not to harm. He wasn't his father. However these people hurt Zane and his family. He honestly wanted to make them feel pain.

Once again ducking down in the brush as another car drove by with its search lights on. The night was shielding them from view. It was really hard to be a ninja when you were dragging hop along giggles.

"We need to find a place to stop for the night. Its getting to late and honestly Kai your heavy."

"Blame Zane its like his cooking has gotten soooo much better." He said and looked around the underbrush. Kai stopped and squinted into the trees and pointed.

"Whats that?" He asked and Lloyd set him down.

"I think its a plane…" He said and looked around at it. It was getting darker and darker. "I think it crashed. Its an old...old model for a shipping company." He motioned for Kai to grab onto him again. Kai and Lloyd pulled the door open and looked inside the old broken down plane. It looked like it crashed, but the foliage snagged it so it never hit the ground and catch fire. The pilots looked like they got out just fine they weren't anywhere to be seen.

"Hello?" Lloyd called out. "Anyone in here?"

"No one here but us ninja." came from some boxes in the back. Kai shook his head.

"Jay? You are the worst at keeping secrets." Nya's voice echoed in the hull.

"Is Cole with you?"

"No he ran the same way that Ronin did." Jay said and held something out to them. It was a magazine. Lloyd looked at the cover.

"Looks like this planes been here for a good twenty years." He told them and closed off their little camp with another set of boxes. It would look like a row of boxes to outsiders.

"I'll take first watch." Lloyd said seeing Nya look over her brothers let.

"Looks like the bullet went clean through. We'll just have to codderize it...somehow." She told him and sighed.

"Oh...Oh no you don't. I had to do that to Jay."

"Looks like I get to return the favor." He held out a leather strap from his belt. "Bite down." Jay said looking pretty apologetic. Kai swallowed hard and bit down on the leather. Lloyd grabbed Kai up in his arms so he wouldn't try and push Jay away during the burning. Because he had to do it twice. On the opening and exit.

* * *

Ronin, Zane, and Cole slowly jumped from tree to tree. The ground was wet from a fresh rain. Cole was sporting a bullet graze on his upper shoulder. He had closed it off with a bit of his pant leg. He looked around at Ronin as they ducked again.

"Did you see Kate?"

"Echo has her." Zane told him.

"Well thats obvious." Cole said with a chuckle. "Those two are pretty inseparable."

"Except when he's throwing her in a ditch." He grumbled.

"My brother has never threw anyone in a ditch." Zane was rather appalled that someone would lie about such a thing.

"Its a figure of speech tincan." Cole told Zane. Zane looked a little baffled.

"It means he abandoned her in the rain." Ronin told him. Zane looked a little surprised for a moment and then his shoulders slumped realizing what was being implied.

"Yes...he did do that." Zane lay lower down as someone with a flashlight went by. He had been using Coles Gi to hide. His white Gi wasn't to good with hiding in the underbrush there. Specially at night.

"Come on he apologized." Cole said and ran forward again finding an access road. Just as soon as they reached said access road bright lights flashed and the vehicle ran forward. Cole and Ronin panicked and ran back into the woods. Zane however waved his arms and smiled. Samurai X opened the top of the tank and looked at them.

"Need a ride handsome?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Zane smiled climbing up onto the tank and collapsed into Pixals arms. She took her helmet off and kissed his forehead.

"I see that." She said fondly.


	12. Chapter 30

_**Authors Notes: Well this is it. I'll start my third and final part in a few days. I have it mostly planned out. You'll love it :D It'll be my best villain of all :D**_

* * *

 _ **Frozen Timepiece**_

 _ **Chapter 30**_

 _ **Lost and Found**_

It was the first time in days that Zane woke up in an area where he actually felt safe. Also the first time he had ever woke up in the arms of someone he loved. He turned his head to look at Pixal who was being spooned him. She was plugged into a external charger. Even though she recreated herself with his specks she still needed to recharge because of the power cells she had. They were still the old power cells from the Samurai X unit that Nya used to fly around in.

He kissed her forehead. She slowly began to power back up. She looked up at him tiredly.

"Hi…" She whispered. Zane smiled down at her and chuckled.

"Hi." He whispered back kissing her nose.

"Oh guh...get a room." Ronin grumbled rolling over in his cot. Cole laughed from his bunk used to waking up just as early as his brother.

"Oh let them have this Ronin. Don't forget they haven't been able to hug like this since you kidnapped them and took them to Chens island!" Cole spat and slowly sat up rubbing his eyes and stretching.

"Hope the others are alright."

"I was unable to locate Echo. His servers must be offline." Pixal said looking around at Zane. "I am sorry." Zane shook his head and pulled her to him He was half a head taller then Echo, and a full head taller then Pixal. That made Pixal taller then Kate by a quarter of a head.

"We'll find them."

"I saw them run toward the sea shelf." Ronin said crossing his arms honestly wishing he knew where some coffee was at that moment. He was used to waking and sleeping as he pleased.

"You don't suppose they…?" Cole asked and looked at Zane surprised. Zane shook his head and sighed. He wasn't to sure about anything. His heart did a backflip when he realized what that meant. He stood up and looked around. "We need to get the Bounty back." He told Pixal. She smiled playfully and put her helmet back on.

"I know."

* * *

Kate slowly opened her eyes. She felt something on her thigh. She honestly thought it was a spider. She panicked and brushed it off with a yelp. Their was a playful giggle. She looked up to see Echo sitting cross legged with a cat tail in his hand. He wagged the plant this way and that so he could show her. She shook her head and put her head back down.

"We need to get back to walking toward the Bounty. Hopefully the others have infiltrated it and we can go home. Those wounds will not take much more murder from the environment." Echo said pointing to her wounds. She looked at her hand where one of the needles had gone in, plus all the scraps she had along it from their climb up the shelf.

"I would love a bath...a long...long vacation." She closed her eyes again.

"Honeymoon…" Echo said and smiled. "I don't really know a lot of places. Is there a place you'd like to visit?" He asked. Kate opened her eyes rubbing the sleep from them.

"I...well I'm not totally sure. I have a few atlases back in my office we could always look into that." She said and turned over and she crawled forward and looked at Echo for a moment. He gasped at the look. He saw it on her every so often normally right before she just pounced him wanting to cuddle. Normally resulting in them going back to sleep because she just didn't want to start work yet.

"Kate no...we need to get going." He stood up. She snatched the cat tail and popped his butt.

"Thats what you get for waking me up so rudely." She giggled and threw the cat tail into the bushes. Echo stuck his tongue out at her.

"I wish these trees had coconuts, or bananas in them." Echo realized she hadn't eaten in a full day now.

"Yes I could use a good oiling. My joints are going to start to grinding and squeaking."

"You mean like you used to when we first met?" She asked. He smiled and nodded. For some reason when she talked about his old body it amused him with how much she could remember. It had only been a week. He noticed her frown when she ran her fingers over her head. Her hair had been cut up to her shoulders. It was so much shorter then she had ever had it.

"Your beautiful Kate." He said taking her hand away from her hair.

"You can't play with it when its like this." She winched when Echo ran his fingers through it and smiled.

"No...thats not true." he smiled at her. An explosion shook the ground just behind them. He jumped and pulled Kate to him. His other arm lifeless at his side still.

"Come on." He yelled and took her hand.

* * *

"This should smoke them out." Sanza said to Raya who today was wearing green eyeshadow. He watched the tree line and smiled. He was missing teeth probably from the concrete falling from the ceiling. Jay hoped it was from that time Echo kicked him on the way by. He watched from the tree above Sanza.

"This guys an idiot." He whispered to no one in general.

"Yeah but what do you expect from some guy that can throw around ten million to get a girl." Kai said from the branch above. Luckily the tree was dense and no one could really see through it.

"Throw more." He told the guy in the car behind him. He threw something into the tube. The mortar shot into the sky and landed not to far away causing the ground to shake as it exploded. Smoke enveloped the area causing the ninja to start coughing.

* * *

Samurai X's tank skidded to a stop just under the Bounty. Its cannons which were manned by Ronin. His whoop of excitement echoed through the jungle. Each one of the vans exploded one by one. He looked around at Cole who had the other cannons on the other side. Zane was on the top he grabbed the anchor line and began to climb up the chain.

"Be careful Tincan!" Cole yelled to him. Zane waved down to him. Once inside he slowly walked along the ship looking around him.

"I do not see anyone in the control room Zane."

"Keep your eyes open I don't want to be surprised." He told her and ran up the stairs into the command center. He pushed the button for the anchor.

* * *

Echo looked on at the man standing in front of him. Sanza had an electric rod in one hand and a button in the other. He smiled at the nindroid, Kate had been shoved behind Echo.

"Your father made a mistake giving you a human mind. He even gave you faked emotions."

"He never gave us emotions." Echo said and shrugged his good shoulder. "We developed them on our own. Through human interaction. We learned to love because of him."

"Bullshit!" He yelled and ran forward pointing the rod at Echo as if it were a javelin. Echo used his good arm to just shove it out of the way. Sanza wasn't to good at fighting at all. Actually he was pretty clumsy.

"You see this button?" He held it up and wiggled it a little. "Their are explosives lining this part of the jungle. I had it rigged to go. I can't be arrested android. I'd rather die." He yelled hearing sirens. Someone must have gotten to the Bounty. He smiled showing his missing teeth.

"Hum...Echo did you do that?" Kate giggled. Echo stood up tall and smiled showing his own teeth to Sanza.

"Did my foot taste good?" He asked him. Sanza touched his jaw.

"You did that!" He yelled.

"I did promise to mess up that perfect smile." Echo said Sanza growled and pushed the button. Echo gasped and clung to Kate.

"Brother...where are you?" He whispered. The ground began to shake. He grabbed Kates hand and began to run back toward the compound. Their had to be a road there right? He could hear Kate panting beside him. She was never one for running.

"Come on Kate...just a little more." He called behind him. The ground sook again. Echo took a slight look behind him. The ground was disappearing before his eyes.

"Faster!" He yelled Kate could hear the panic in his voice.

"Echo!" Pixals tank broke through the treeline just ahead of them. Ronin had the back hatch wide open. He held his hand out to Echo. Echo pulled Kate ahead of him and into Ronins arms.

"Come on you too." He yelled after the bronzed nindroid.

"Echo come on!" Kate yelled holding out her hands for him too. To Echo...they looked nothing alike.

Kates heart stopped. Echo tripped and tumbled being overtaken by the dust cloud. They couldn't see anything.

"No!" Kates scream was the one thing Echo could hear. He could feel the ground shaking and jumping under his side. His audios kept ringing. His head hurt from the fall. He slowly stood up and looked around.

"Echo!" He turned hearing Kates voice drifting away. She was panicking. He gasped when he was quite literally lifted from the ground.

"Hey there bud." Echo looked up to see the Ninja hanging onto an anchor. He had been lifted up by both Jay and Kai.

"Kate!" He called after they came into view. Kate was in Cole and Ronins arms. Her face was lined with tears. Even though he was safe she kept reaching for him.

"Don't worry Zanes great as a pilot." Pixal yelled behind her. The Bounty descended the anchor just short of Sanzas property.

"Do you think he survived?" Ronin asked Cole. Cole shook his head and crossed his arms.

"If he did...I hope he runs...I have a strange idea that Echo could be pretty sinister with revenge if he wanted to be." Cole said watching Kate run into Echos waiting arms.

"Come on...we need to get them to Borg industries.

* * *

Borg looked at Echo, and Zane then saw Pixal. His eyes grew wider then dinner plates.

"How?" He looked amazed for a moment and then pointed to the other two. "But then you two look like hell? Kate my dear what happened to you!" He asked finally seeing her. She had been hiding behind Echo because she wasn't exactly in a good set of clothing yet. Still wearing mostly a blanket.

"We were...um...kidnapped, experimented on, and…" Kate swallowed suddenly the weight of everything that happened started to become apparent to her. Her bottom lip quivered and she just went quiet. Echo turned and put his good arm around her.

"We're alright now." He whispered

"Alright...how about you all head up to my apartment and I'll get your new bodies started. Its going to take a few days. I'm sure it'll be a little more comfortable then your accommodations anyways. Pixal you remember the way yes?"

"Of course." She said an motioned to an elevator. She opened a secret panel along the side of the elevator and pushed a button. It went all the way up to the very top. Within was a wide loft apartment. Kate limped into the room and snagged an apple from a bowl and walked over to the window. She turned and looked at the others. Each one looking around Borgs apartment.

"I actually figured he never left the building. He was pretty reclusive." Jay said and giggled looking at the fairly large tv on one wall.

"This way. There's a guest room" She opened the door and paused and looked at the others who didn't seem to move.

"I don't think one room is going to be big enough." Lloyd said looking at his ninja. All of which were incredibly injured, hungry, tired, and dirty.

Pixal smiled and nodded.

"Of course Master Lloyd."

Borg got back to his apartment early in the morning. He opened his door and looked within to see a large pile of blankets and pillows in the middle of his living room. The couch had been pushed against the wall.

"You remind me of kittens." Borg chuckled to himself. He reached out to touch Zane. His arms were protectively around Pixal who has her own hand in Kates to show the girl she wasn't alone. Echo was on Kates other side once again outside of the covers but still holding her. The others seemed to climb in around them.

"It would be a shame to wake them up now." He whispered and looked around at the kitchen. It had been used but cleaned back up. He dreaded looking at the bathroom since everyone seemed to have used it.

"I think I'll get on that paperwork in the morning." He smiled to himself. He had been fighting for equal marriage for his androids for some time now. Perhaps soon...perhaps very soon...things will change for the better.


End file.
